Simon Addyman

Originally from England, Simon Addyman is a landscape painter now living and working in California.

Addyman walks a line between suggestion and representation, and apparently feels quite comfortable on either side.

His textural, often brusquely applied brush marks fade and weave into one another, creating movement and coalescing into the forms of his subjects as if they were gradually coming into focus.

Addyman uses lost and found edges to great effect — both in the sense of blurred borders and in the sense of close value relationships — allowing the viewers eye to search a bit before being unerringly guided to his center of interest.

He works in plein air for small sketches, from which he creates his larger studio landscapes.

4 Replies to “Simon Addyman”

Thanks so much for this post, Charley – this artist is a terrific landscape painter and has inspired me to get out there when it “warms” back up into the 40’s. I love his impressionist style and brushwork and skill in simplifying the landscape. He mentions using a very limited palette outdoors and I am inspired to give that a try. I confess I am often more drawn to British landscape painters than to many popular American landscape painters. One of my favorite contemporary English painters is Haidee-Jo Summers. She paints lovely plein air landscapes and is an excellent draftsman.

Thanks for the comments, Pat. I agree that there is something particularly appealing about English landscape painters. Thanks for the note about Haidee-Jo Summers. I’ve seen her work in the past, but you’ve reminded me to look up my bookmarks and revisit her site.

“Addyman uses lost and found edges to great effect — both in the sense of blurred borders and in the sense of close value relationships — allowing the viewers eye to search a bit…”
The strong, reflexive search for edges, how cunning he is to use that to get our eyes working with him to make the painting.